South Africa's bus crash kills 26

Several children were among those who died in the accident, officials say

At least 26 people have been killed and 25 injured after a bus plunged into a river in South Africa, officials say.

The accident in Eastern Cape Province led to a massive rescue operation to save some 30 passengers trapped inside.

Officials later said they believed that more people could be still in the bus, which drove off a cliff and landed upside-down in the river.

A local policeman said faulty brakes were the cause of the crash. The bus had 80 people on board, reports say.

Constable Knokwaba Kholisa told the AFP news agency the vehicle had "lost control" after the brakes failed near the town of Cedarville.

Officials later said that several children were among those who died in the accident.

They said police divers and army helicopters were taking part in the rescue operation and recovering the bodies of those killed.

The bus was on its way to nearby Matatiele, the BBC's Will Ross in Johannesburg says.

South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world for driving, with about 10,000 deaths on the country's roads each year, correspondents say.

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Rescue workers search for people trapped in the wreckage